Ashraf Ali Khan Chowdhury

Ashraf Ali Khan Chowdhury was a Bengali lawyer and politician.

Early life

Chowdhury was born in 1878 to a Bengali Muslim zamindar family known as the Chowdhuries of Natore. His father was Khan Bahadur Ershad Ali Khan Chowdhury, a member of the Bengal Legislative Council. He was called to the bar at London's Inns of Court and became a barrister in 1912.

Chowdhury started his legal career by joining the Calcutta High Court bar. Introduced to politics by his father and under the patronage of Syed Nawab Ali Chowdhury, Khan Chowdhury was a founding member of the East Bengal and Assam Provincial Muslim Educational Society. In 1928, he was elected to the Bengal Legislative Council, representing Natore. In 1932, Khan Chowdhury declined an offer of a judgeship at the Calcutta High Court, choosing to pursue a career in politics. In 1937, he was re-elected to the Bengal Legislative Assembly from Natore District as a candidate of the All India Muslim League. He served as the Deputy Speaker of the Bengal Legislative Assembly.

Khan Chowdhury had seven children, including one son and six daughters. His daughter Rabia married jurist Hamoodur Rahman, who later served as Chief Justice of Pakistan from 1968 to 1975 and led Pakistan's War Enquiry Commission following the conclusion of the Bangladesh genocide.